Perioperative Nurse Essay

Perioperative Nurse The career I chose is perioperative nursing. Perioperative nurses are an important part of the surgical team. Typically, perioperative nurses work serve as either a scrub nurse, circulating nurse, or a RN first assistant. They care for the patient having surgery by assessing and planning the nursing care the patients receive before, during, and after surgery. Much of the ambulatory surgery is increasingly being performed in a physician’s office, this is the fastest growing part of outpatient procedures. Physical stamina and mental endurance are important attributes for this job. Perioperative nursing was formerly referred to as “operating nurse”, but as the responsibilities expanded, the term perioperative became more appropriate.
Being a perioperative nurse requires a master’s degree or higher in a nurse practitioner program and a perioperative subspecialty certification, or at least one year of perioperative training. In addition to a nursing degree and licensing, perioperative nurses usually begin their careers as staff or floor nurses. Through experience and education they move up into surgical nursing. I want to go to UCO for this career. Some nurses have general nursing experience that can help them become a perioperative nurse, but it is not required. The perioperative nurse with an advanced degree may function in an advanced role. The Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA) is an expanded role of perioperative nursing. (Essentials of Perioperative Nursing) The RNFA practices under the supervision of the surgeon and assists the surgeon during the occurring surgery part of the perioperative experience. (Essentials of Perioperative Nursing) Perioperative nursing care is provided in a variety of different settings including acute care facilities, ambulatory settings, physician-based office settings, and the patient’s home. Demand is expected to remain high for experienced perioperative